Group Copyright Lesson Materials

Recently I helped my group create a lesson on copyright for seventh grade students. Below are the materials for the lesson, including an ASSURE Lesson Plan, a Student Handout, and Google Docs Presentation.

ASSURE Lesson Plan:




Student Worksheet:




Google Docs Presentation:

Using Handheld Devices in the Classroom

                When discussing incorporating technology in the classroom, one is typically met with one of two reactions, either unbridled enthusiasm or active reticence. This is specifically true when it comes to using handheld technology,  such as iPods or cell phones, in the classroom. While many agree that using these technologies does have applications in the classroom, it is important to determine the best way to do so.

                Song (2007) looks at the use of handheld devices in the classroom, specifically at the results, or as she says, "consequences" (p. 38) of using such technology. In doing so, the limitations of handheld devices are clearly seen. After reviewing the literature surrounding the use of handheld devices in the classroom, Song (2007) determined that the vast majority of research were limited to looking at a very specific use of the handheld device. While many of these studies showed positive results, this meant that students were not allowed to explore the full potential of applications, and thus were not able to determine the full extent of benefits that could be derived from use of the technology (Song, 2007). This limitation could be resolved with further research that delves into student exploration of the use of handheld devices, and could provide additional insight into how students can use handheld devices for exploratory learning. Another complaint with the use of handheld devices was the idea that they often simply replicated tasks that were previously done on a desktop computer, such as displaying subject matter for students; furthermore, doing so on a handheld device lacks the ease of looking at a computer because of smaller screen size and relatively limited computation abilities (Song, 2007). After looking at this information, one might develop a rather dismal view of using handheld devices in education.

                The news is not all bad, however. Song (2007) notes that there are some applications that take into account the user's context, called "context-aware applications" (p. 44). These have the ability to detect the user's location and thus provide contextualized content for the user to explore (Song, 2007). Song (2007) provides the example of an application knowing the user is in a museum and offering online information that the user can explore at will. Unfortunately, these applications are still being developed, due to the difficulty in designing them. In time, however, they will become more advanced and useful in aiding in student learning. Song (2007) concludes that further research will go a long way in determining the most effective ways to use handheld devices in the classroom.

                While the above article is not overly optimistic about the use of handheld technology in schools, I do believe that there are valid applications, particularly in the library. For example, students can use handheld devices to look at reviews of books in order to determine whether they want to read them. Students can also use mobile devices to access the library catalog when not at school to determine if an item is available or even directly communicate with the librarian when not physically in the library. Further applications will likely become apparent as handheld devices are further developed and incorporated more into schools.

References

Song, Y. (2007). Educational uses of handheld devices: What are the consequences? TechTrends. 51(5). 38-45. Retrieved from: http://www.springer.com/education+%26+language/learning+%26+instruction/journal/11528

Links to Projects

Below is an embedded Google doc that will be updated with links to projects as they are finished.

My Technology Strengths and Weaknesses

               Technology is an ever-present part of modern life, and can help provide for meaningful and engaging learning experiences for teachers and students alike. As librarians, we need to ensure that both students and teachers have access to technology to create and enhance meaningful learning experiences. To this end, the International Society for Technology In Education (ITSE) published a set of standards in 2008 for teachers called the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) to help gauge how well teachers incorporate technology into student learning.

                The NETS standards are broken into five major sections with several performance indicators listed in each. In my own case, I have differing strengths and weaknesses in each area. My biggest strengths fall under the category of "Model[ing] Digital Age Work and Learning" (ITSE, 2008, p. 1). Having grown up in the digital age, it is relatively simple for me to learn about new forms of technology and discover different ways to use them, making it easy to model these skills to others. Another strength falls under the category of "Promot[ing] and Model[ing] Digital Citizenship and Responsibility" (ITSE, 2008, p. 2). Through previous courses in this program, I have learned much about the ethics of using digital information and other forms of intellectual property. Similarly, knowledge of this would enable me to model such competencies for students and other teachers. One last strength falls under the category of "Engag[ing] in Professional Growth and Leadership" (ITSE, 2008, p. 2). Working on this master's program has served as both an initial education in library science as well as continued development that will continue beyond formal schooling. These strengths will allow me to discover new technologies to use when working with students and to model and promote ethical use of technology and intellectual property. Furthermore, continued development will help me to continue to develop my current strengths and eventually turn my weaknesses into strengths.

                Just as I have strengths in the NETS standards, I have weaknesses as well. My biggest weakness falls under the second category of the NETS standards, "Design[ing] and Develop[ing] Digital Age Learning Experience and Assessments" (ITSE, 2008, p. 1).  My biggest weakness here is a lack of experience in designing lessons that incorporate technology to create engaging learning experiences for students. To date, I have only the teaching experience of my student teaching semester in college, and while I did incorporate technology throughout that experience, I require more practice to be truly effective at this standard. Similarly, my other weakness lies in the category of "Facilitat[ing] and Inspir[ing] Student Learning and Creativity" (ITSE, 2008, p. 1). A lack of experience is again the culprit for the weakness in this area, specifically in how to engage students in solving problems using creativity. As with all skills, practice seems to be the ultimate teacher, and will allow me, along with further professional development, to turn these weaknesses into strengths. Similarly, I would like to try and keep up with the technologies that are available, specifically for instructional use, in order to best determine what will best help students to learn and teachers to teach. Also, continuing to learn about instructional strategies would help me to improve my instructional strategies and allow me to find the best ways to incorporate technology into instruction.

References

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National Education Technology Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from: http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-t-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2